Cary Audio is known for its integrated amplifiers. We get a lot of questions about the differences in the various models. They are all very different and serve different applications depending on needs, room attributes, speakers, and listening preferences. We hope the below chart will help delineate the differences so that you can choose the right integrated amplifier for you.
| SLI-100 | SLI-80HS | CAD-300SEI | SI-300.2d | AiOS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DESIGN | Tube | Tube | Tube | Solid State | Solid State |
| CIRCUIT | Class AB | Class A/AB (switchable) | Class A | Class AB | Class AB |
| POWER | 100 watts per channel | 40 (A)/80 (AB) watts per channel | 15 watts per channel | 300 watts per channel | 75 watts per channel |
| OUTPUT DEVICE | KT150 tubes | KT88 tubes (can use KT120, 6550, EL34, etc.) | 300B tubes | Bipolar | Power MOSFET |
| HIGHLIGHTS | Bass texture, punch, power, and overall articulation | Flexibility, jack of all trades, classic sound | Lush mids, sweet highs, large and transparent soundstage, incredible headphone amplifier | Exceptional low impedance drive capability with tube-like qualities and smoothness for high power requirements | Network streaming, balanced smooth sound with great top to bottom extension, audiophile-grade sound in compact form |
| ANALOG INPUTS | 4 line level RCA | 3 line level RCA | 3 line level RCA | 2 line level RCA, 2 balanced XLR | 2 line level RCA, 1 3.5 mini |
| DIGITAL INPUTS (DAC) | None | None | None | USB-B (for computer), optical, coaxial, bluetooth | Network WiFi and ethernet (for streaming audio), USB-A (for USB hard/thumb drives), optical, coaxial |
| SPEAKER TYPES | Most | Most | High efficiency or horn | Speakers that like power, are hard to drive. Example, Planar/Electrostats | Most |
| MUSIC GENRE | Any | Any | Vocal, jazz, classical, folk | Any | Any |
